Supercharger control



Nov. 3', 1942'. R M. NARDONE 2,301,072

SUPERCHARGER CONTROL Filed Sept. 20, 1941 2 Sheejzs-Sheet l INVENTOR ROIILQO M Nev-dome.

7 1942. R. M. NARDONE 2,301,072

SUPERCHARGER CONTROL Filed Sept. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Romeo Mlvcutlolze B A (SRQKEY 7 i Patented Nov. 3, 1942 lomeo ll. Nardone, Westwood, N. 1., assignor to Bendix Aviation corporation, South Bend, Ind, a corporation of Delaware Application September 20,194 Serial No. 411,141 2 Claims. (cl. l4289).

This invention relates to supercharging systems and particularly to systems and devices for supplying a proper amount of air for use in supporting combustion in explosion engines such as are used in aeronautical and other automotive devices.

An object of the invention is to provide novel means for controlling the volume and pressure of ai -passing into the cylinders of an internal combustion engine.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide a supercharger drive of novel construction which will be highly emcient as a means for conveying suitable quantities of compressed air to the cylinders of the engine in such a manner as to enable the operator of the engine to obtain the maximum performance therefrom.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shownas embodied in a supercharger assembly to which air is admitted through a suitable entrance member indicated at I, the air being impelled through the radial channels formed by the impeller blades, "and then passing by way of a suitableconduit 2, to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft 5 Another object of the invention is to provide a 7 novel supercharger drive including a friction clutch of the centrifugal type and also a friction brake by which the volume of air compressed and fed to the engine may be varied at will.

Another object is to provide in a device of the foregoing character novel means for actuating the supercharger at variable speed.

7 Still another object of the invention is to pro vide a novel, practical, eflicient and compact construction which will be light in weight, relatively simple to manufacture and install, and readily accessible for inspection, removal, or replacement of parts.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon inspection of the following specification wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention.

It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are intended merely to serve the purpose of illustrating one mode of embodying the invention in practical form and are not to be considered as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the corresponding parts throughout the several views- Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse view, along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

on cam. Cam II and drive to which-is splined the accessory drive shaft II. A gear I is splined and secured to shaft III. This gear drives the planetary idler gears 4 formed integral with gears 5. These duplex planets are mounted on roller bearings supported between plates land 1. Plate 6, forming part of a brake 'drum, is mounted on bearing 0, while plate I, acting as an outer race of a roller type overrunning clutch, is supported on bronze shoes 9 plate II are both splined and secured to gear I! in mesh with gears 5.

A centrifugal clutch I 3 having weights ll forms part of the driven planetary spider 2|, carrying gears it. These gears mesh with stationary internal gear l1 and drive the blower pinion II at a high rate of speed.

When the spider formed by plates 0 and I is not held by the brake band I, the rotation of shaft iland gear I, with resistance at gear l2, tends to drive th spider assembly ahead of gear II. This is prevented by the wedging of the rollers 2| of overrunning clutch 1-"; the 'wedging action occurring between plate I and the cam surfaces of inner race ll. Therefore no reduction inspeed occurs and plate I! is driven at crankshaft speed.

Rotation of plate I 5 is communicated to planetary carrier vill, as the pressure of engagement of the clutch plates is suflicient tomeet normal requirements, even at minimum running speed of the crankshaft.

When the brake band (with shoes 22') is tightened on drum 6, the spider I, I is held stationary and gears 4 and S rotate about their own axes while the roller clutch overruns. A 2-1 multiplication to the clutch plate I 5 is obtained which, together with a final 6-1 multiplication at the planets ll, drives the blower at 12 times engine speed. When this occurs, weights ll apply more pressure to the clutch assembly II, II, to render the drive more certain, while still protectingthe gears in any emergency.

The tightening of brake band ll may be effected by a conventional. mechanism, such as a bell-crank 3| whose short end engages a nut slonanadiustablebolt 32. Apairoflugsil,"

are formed on the ends of brake band I9, and bell-crank ll is pivotally mounted in one of these, as. shown at 36. The lug 34 is adjustably held on bolt-32 by nut 88.

The roller clutch is shown best in Fig. 4, and a feature of novelty is the provision of the bronze (or other soft metallic) shoes 9 on the radial projections ll of the inner race, or cam, ll. These shoes 9 facilitate free rolling of cam ll 7 when member I is held, and also act as bearings for the said member I at all times.

In Fig. 3 the operation is substantially the same, although diiferential gears are substituted for the planetary set 3, I, 5, ll of Fig. 1. Brake band I! serves to hold gear 8|, when tightened, thus causing acceleration of the drive to the gear 62, with which clutch plate I5 is integrated.

When this occurs, inner clutch race il overruns outer race I which in this embodiment, is integral with gear GI. Before application of the brake, gears GI and I0 and clutch 2i, rotate as a restraining rotation of said one element of said gear train, and hence of the roller clutch race that is integrally united therewith, to change the driving ratio of said gear train and thereby produce a speed change which will affect the action of said speed responsive means, while causing the other race of said roller clutch to roll freely with respect to the first-named race, whose rotation is restrained.

2. In a supercharger drive, in combination, a friction clutch, a gear train, and a uni-directional clutch, the latter being interposed between said gear train and friction clutch, to transmit the rotation of the gear train to said friction clutch, and thereby drive the supercharger, and one element of the gear train being integrally united with one element of said uni-directional clutch, speed responsive means for increasing the pressure of engagement of said friction clutch, to increase the torque transmitting capacity, and means for restraining rotation of said one element of said gear train, and hence of the uni-directional clutch element that is integrally united therewith, to change the driving ratio of said gear train and thereby produce a. speed change which will aiiect the action of said speed responsive means, while causing free overrunning action of said uni-directional clutch.

' ROMEO M- NARDONE. 

